11 Steps on How to Start a Business in 2022

Running a business can significantly impact your life and the lives of those around you. But before you can run a new business, you need to learn how to start a business.

These 11 time-tested steps on how to start a successful business—whether it’s your first or your 10th—will help you with everything from finding and validating your money-making idea to figuring out your shipping strategy to finally launching your product or service.

11 steps to start your business

1. Find a business idea
2. Write your business plan
3. Secure financing to fund your business
4. Choose a business structure
5. Get federal and state tax ID numbers
6. Obtain a business license and permits
7. Open a business bank account
8. Get business insurance
9. Select your tools and software
10. Build your team
11. Market your business

1. Find a business idea

The first step in starting an online business is figuring out what you want your business to be. Finding small business ideas is a task you can approach systematically by relying on time-tested approaches that have worked for other entrepreneurs.

2. Write your business plan

Writing a business plan helps formalize your idea and can streamline the business-creation process by getting you to sit down and think things through methodically.

And, yes, plans are (often) worthless, but planning is everything.

Having a firm grasp of your “known unknowns” is important because all it means is that you’re actively not prioritizing finding a solution right now; that’s a lot better than being unprepared or caught off guard, especially if you struggle to answer these questions while seeking funding.

At the very least your business plan should outline the following:

• Company name and description
• Market analysis
• Management and organization
• Products and services
• Customer segmentation
• Marketing plan
• Logistics and operations plan
• Financial plan

Choose a business name

For starters, your business name (try our business name generator) is a universal facet of your marketing—it shows up everywhere you do. Keep things simple and focused: find a name for your business that makes it clear what you do, that’s short and memorable, and that aligns with your mission and vision statement. This isn’t an effortless task, but it’s very achievable with a bit of ingenuity.

Conduct market research

One of the best ways to start a business is to conduct a market analysis. The goal of market research is to better understand your target market and competitors in order to craft an effective business plan.

What’s the potential opportunity size?

Entrepreneurs are often too dismissive of small markets. Yes, the market size should match your ambitions for the business, but the opportunity size of a specific niche is determined by a few other dimensions. For example, if a product category has relatively few active customers, but the price of the product is relatively high and requires repurchase, that’s an attractive opportunity that founders focused on market size might miss.

Who’s your competition?

What does the competitive landscape look like for your target market? Are there many competitors, or very few? If there are a lot of competing businesses in your niche, it’s often a sign that the market is well established. That’s good for ensuring demand exists, but it will also require you to differentiate what you offer (to some degree) in order to attract customer attention and build market share.

Who is your target audience?

A target audience is a group of people you plan to sell your products and services to. Understanding your target audience makes it easier to find new customers and bring interested buyers to your website. From higher engagement on your social media channels to a greater ROI for your ads, defining your buyer personas upfront can help you succeed.

3. Secure financing to fund your business

Your business plan will help determine how much money you’ll need to get your business up and running. There are a few ways to fund your business, but these are the most common:

• Business loans. If you have a good personal credit history and need startup financing, a business loan from a lender could be a good idea.

• Business grants. Grants are often given to target businesses based on a variety of factors including, veteran-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses, specific for-profit businesses, women-run businesses, and more.

• Shopify Capital. You potentially can receive financing that helps approved merchants get the funds they need, without lengthy bank approvals or giving up part of their company.

• Crowdfunding. If you don’t want to go the traditional funding route, you could always crowdsource funds from a group of people online.

• Personal investors. Startups also fund their companies through VC or angel investors, or friends and family in the early stages.

4. Choose a business structure

Choosing the right structure is about balancing the legal and financial protection you need with the flexibility offered by different options. It’s an important decision, and it’s one you should consider carefully before you launch your business.

Business structures vary based on your country and area, but common types—that may go by different names in your country—are sole proprietorship, limited liability company (LLC,) and corporation.

Sole proprietorship

A sole proprietorship is great if you’re the only person involved in the business, and is usually the lowest-effort structure to pursue, but it leaves you personally liable for the business and its activities. You can hire employees as a sole proprietor, but you’ll need an employer identification number to do so, which means registering your business entity.

Limited liability corporation (LLC)

A limited liability corporation (LLC) is a common type of business entity for small businesses in the US. It provides liability protection for the business owner(s), so you are not financially responsible if legal claims are brought against your business. An LLC can be formed by one or more owners.

Corporation

A C corporation is a business structure where owners are taxed separately from the entity. Shareholders own the business and each has a fractional share of the company. The benefits of a C corp are normally enjoyed by large, multinational corporations, like Walmart and Apple. However, they can be leveraged by small businesses that want to garner investment by issuing stock.

When it comes to considering the right legal structure for your business, there are a few factors you’ll need to consider:

• Where is your business located? Your country’s laws will outline the different business structures you can form and whether or not you need a business license to get started.
• What kind of business are you running? Some structures are more suited to businesses of a certain scale or within a certain industry. There might come a time when you need to restructure your business in order to work with new partners. It’s not uncommon for large businesses to ask that their suppliers or partners be incorporated, for example.
• How many people are involved? If you’re going it alone as a solo founder, you may be able to look at streamlined options. If you have a business partner or multiple people with ownership in the company, you’ll need to look at more advanced options to ensure everything is set up and shared properly.

5. Get federal and state tax ID numbers

Federal tax ID (EIN)

A federal tax ID, also called an employer identification number, or EIN, is a nine-digit number the IRS assigns to businesses and organizations for tax purposes. Think of it as your business’s Social Security number.

You’ll need an EIN if:

• Your business has any employees other than yourself
• Your business is incorporated
• You have any partners in your business (i.e., it is a multi-member LLC)
• You take over an existing business either through purchase or inheritance
• You have a retirement plan for self-employed individuals (like a keogh plan) or solo 401(k) retirement plan
• You want to open a business bank account (Not all banks require an EIN, but most do.)
• You file for bankruptcy

Having an EIN will:

• Help you when you file taxes. An EIN will allow you to file business taxes, decrease the chances of an audit when claiming deductions, and help you to avoid tax penalties.
• Protect you legally. If you ever run into legal trouble, your EIN establishes that you personally are separate from your business. Your EIN protects you if your business ever gets sued.
• Help protect your personal information. Instead of giving out your personal Social Security number to vendors and clients, you can just give out your EIN. So your personal information will be kept private and safe, making it much less likely you’ll experience identity theft. Business identity theft does happen, but it’s much less common than personal or consumer identity theft.
• Help you establish business credit. Much in the way that you personally have a credit history, your EIN helps your business build credit. This can do a lot in helping you get better terms on your business loans as well as to qualify for business credit cards, etc.

State tax ID

A state tax ID is separate from your EIN. An EIN is assigned by the federal IRS, while a state tax ID is assigned by your state.

A state tax ID has a similar purpose to an EIN in that it helps your business comply with state business laws. However, each state has different requirements, regulations, and even tax laws. So you’ll have to research your individual state’s laws to see whether your business will need a state tax ID.

Laws vary from state to state. A good place to start is your state’s taxation department, department of treasury, or secretary of state. Get in touch with them to find out any state tax ID requirements you may need when starting your business.

6. Obtain a business license and permits

Once you understand how to start a business, look into what licenses and government regulations you need to operate legally. No one wants to end up in legal trouble. Your business is subject to the laws governing businesses in your area, as well as laws and regulations specific to your industry. For instance, a food service business needs to follow specific licensing and regulations for handling what it sells, but it also has to pay attention to the legalities of its marketing efforts and to trademark and copyright laws.

With so much to know, and a lot of it specific to your location and industry, it’s worth consulting with a lawyer to get advice before you launch your business. Investing time and money upfront to obtain legal advice can save you from considerable headaches down the road.

7. Open a business bank account

To make managing your finances far easier, take the time to open a business bank account and obtain a business credit card. Keeping your personal and professional finances separate makes doing your business taxes much simpler and can help you automate some of the financial steps to starting a business as well. Doing this will be especially helpful if you want to know how to start a small business with no money.

8. Get business insurance

Business insurance helps protect your business and personal assets from anything that could go wrong. Every state has different laws and requirements when it comes to business insurance, but even if your state doesn’t require it, it’s always a good idea to give yourself and your business extra protection.

There are many kinds of business insurance, and figuring out what insurance your business needs is the first step. Here are some common types of insurance include:

• Liability insurance covers your business for any legal actions due to accidents, injuries, or negligence.
• Commercial property insurance will help your business if any property is damaged or destroyed due to fire, storm, or theft. It will help pay to repair or replace property, inventory, and equipment.
• Commercial auto insurance will cover any damage caused to or by any vehicles you use for your business. (i.e., delivery vehicles, moving trucks, forklifts, etc.). It will pay for medical expenses, legal bills, and property damage, should one of your vehicles be the cause of an accident.
• Workers’ compensation insurance pays for the medical care and lost wages of any employees who are injured on the job. Most states require employers to have some sort of workers’ compensation insurance based on how many employees a business employs.
• Professional liability insurance protects people who are in service-related jobs. It protects them from liability for negligence or malpractice (for example, estheticians, hair stylists, bartenders, etc.). It is also known as errors and omissions insurance.
• Product liability insurance protects manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers. It protects them from liability if a product they make or sell turns out to be unsafe and injures someone.
• Business interruption insurance will cover the operating costs of your business if it has to shut down or move (for example, because of a fire or hurricane). It will cover the cost of relocation, paying employees, and paying rent.
• Cyber liability insurance provides liability coverage to businesses that suffer a data breach. Depending on the insurance, it can also cover the cost of letting your customers know about the data breach, as well as providing services to customers who are victims of identity theft because of a said data breach.
• Umbrella insurance gives you extra coverage to help pay for anything that may have exceeded your policy limits on other types of insurance.

To help you decide on what insurance you may need, you need to understand the risks of the industry you’re in. A dog-grooming business in California is going to have an entirely different set of needs than a t-shirt printing shop based in North Carolina. So do some research and assess the risks involved with the business you’re starting.

To give you an example, the dog-grooming business in California should probably, at the very least, consider:

• Liability insurance in case a client slips and falls on some soap or water on the ground
• Errors and omissions insurance for any dogs that may get injured in their care
• Workers compensation for any groomers that may get bitten by furry clients
• Commercial auto insurance if they have any mobile grooming vans
• Cyber liability insurance if they’re taking any electronic payments

After you’ve found the types of insurance your business needs, shop around. There are a lot of companies offering all kinds of business insurance. If you find it overwhelming, it’s a good idea to go through a reputable licensed agent. A commercial insurance agent will help you find policies that match the needs of your business and your price point.

These agents receive commissions from the insurance companies when they sell policies, so make sure to find one that is actually interested in helping you find what you need.

Once you’ve enrolled in the policies you need—great! Just make sure to re-assess as your business grows. As your business’s needs change, you’ll likely have a need to update your policies as well.

9. Select your tools and software

Taking the steps to start an online business means having more to do than reasonably can be done. That’s why small business owners shouldn’t underestimate the value of good software—it’s one of the best ways to reduce the heavy lifting involved in running a business.

Are there repetitive tasks in that list that don’t require much decision making? Software is perfect for streamlining or automating that sort of work. You can also deploy software early to support some of your marketing and sales work. While there’s a genuine risk of getting distracted with excess tools, there’s a portion of marketing that will benefit from automation from day one.

Consider looking into software to help you manage the following:

• Accounting. With numerous options to help you track everything from a meal with your business partner to a big inventory order, accounting software is one of the best ways to start your business off on the right financial foot.
• Email marketing. Most businesses will benefit from setting up cart abandonment and welcome email sequences even before they’ve made their first sale. An email list is one of the few things, alongside your online store, that you truly own on the internet. It provides a direct line to your customers that isn’t dependent on third-party algorithms. Invest early and start for free with Shopify Email.
• Ads. Paying for ads is a cost of doing business, especially online, but there’s marketing software that can help streamline the process and make the most of your advertising budget—no matter how much you have to spend. Marketing in Shopify can help you reduce the time it takes to create, test, and track your campaigns, but if you plan on scaling your paid advertising, it’s smart to familiarize yourself with their individual platforms.
• Project management. Even if you’re a sole proprietor, having one place to plan your work and keep track of important tasks can help you stay on schedule. Tools like Trello and Asana can help you keep your finger on the pulse, and connective apps like Zapier are great for stitching together and automating your most common workflows.
• Website or online store. Choose a website builder or ecommerce platform that allows you to easily manage all the critical tasks involved in running your business. Look for a theme that supports your product lines and gives you the ability to take and manage orders easily. For commerce businesses, site performance, payments and checkout, and omnichannel capabilities are especially important considerations.

10. Build your team

Now that you know how to open your own business, it’s time to dive into building your team.

How much work will you need to do, and what skills will be required to launch your business? These are fundamental questions you’ll need to answer, because they’ll guide both your timeline and your level of investment in your launch.

If you plan to do all of the work yourself, you’re limited by the time you have available to invest. If you plan on hiring help, you’ll need to account for those costs—as well as the time involved in finding and onboarding freelancers or employees.

Some roles you may want to hire for, depending on your skills, include:

• An inventory manager to keep your inventory up to date
• A customer service coordinator to solve customer problems
• Social media manager to create buzz and grow your social presence
• Ads specialist to generate traffic to your website
• Graphic designer to create assets for your marketing material
• A marketer to plan and write material for email, website, and other campaigns

11. Market your business

Brand your business

Building a brand from scratch is no easy task, but critical to stand out in a sea of competition. A brand is more than just your logo and name, it’s how people perceive you whenever they interact with your business.

Common elements of branding include:

• Brand logo. A symbol made up of text and images that identifies your business. An effective logo expresses your values and communicates what you do. Create a logo today with our free logo creation tool.
• Company colors and fonts. Your colors, logo, and font play a role in your visual identity. Visuals tie into human emotions and can help reinforce your position and brand experience.
• Voice, tone, and messaging. A consistent and recognizable voice across all your touchpoints makes your brand sound more human and helps connect with your audience on a personal level.
• Brand positioning. A brand position makes it clear who you serve. It communicates to your target audience why you are the best choice for them and what makes your products different.

Create a website or online store

Starting an online store or website is both rewarding and profitable when done right. Having an online presence will gain credibility with potential customers and make it easy for them to access your business, versus going to a physical store.

Shopify is the easiest and most reputable way to build an online store. As an ecommerce platform, you can get up and running without any tech skills or a huge budget. Choose from over 100 templates with built-in features. For a small $29 per month fee, you’ll get:

• Your own website
• SSL certifications
• Abandoned shopping cart recovery
• Fast and reliable web hosting
• Over 4,000 free marketing, sales, and support apps through the Shopify App Store

Craft a marketing plan

As you near your launch date, you should schedule time to create a marketing planthat can help you promote your business and sell more products and services. This document can go a long way toward helping your business find an audience, grow your customer base, and keep your promotional efforts on track over time.

Marketing plans often include:

• An executive summary that summarizes your overall plan
• A mission statement that outlines your overarching goals and business philosophy
• Objectives that detail the specific things you want the company to achieve
• A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis that helps identify what you’re doing right and what needs to be refined
• Market research that helps you understand your industry, potential customers, and competitors
• A budget that keeps your finances under control

Next Step: Get inspired with these seven marketing plan examples and start creating your marketing plan today.

Promote your business

At this point, you know everything there is to know about how to start a business. The preparation you’ve already done has laid a solid foundation to support your launch, so you can focus on marketing activities and making your first sale. However, a plan of attack, especially as you’re trying to build traction, can help make your launch even more successful.

While every launch will be unique, there are some elements that can boost any business’s first few days of sales.

• Use your network. Promote your store first and foremost on free channels that are already available to you, which includes your personal social media and your contacts list. Sending one-on-one emails asking for support, which can be as simple as a social share, can go a long way toward gaining traction.
• Consider offering discounts. Rewarding early customers with a discount code that fits with your profit margins can help you get traction early on, especially when your store is new and may not have many customer reviews or social proof points.
• Test paid ads. Even if you start with a small budget, paid ads can be one of the most effective ways to get in front of your ideal audience. Testing early and learning from your results can help you drive your first few sales and optimize your ad performance as you scale.